Business Bytes

Theer has been a 16% increase in guests staying at hotels in Abu Dhabi during the first half of the year as compared to last year.

More people than ever are flying into Abu Dhabi since the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November last year. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ABTA) are pleased with the continuing growth "We are now well above our targeted annual growth of 10 per cent and have seen double-digit monthly growth since last November's staging of Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix," said Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General of ADTA.

The UK featured the most growth out of the overseas markets, with an 18% increase on 2009, with 60,994 British guests flying from the UK. Abu Dhabi also benefitted from a strong domestic market, with a 20% rise over 2009, translating to 397,547 guests.

Hiring extras such as a car seat when on holiday can work out almost the same price as hiring the car itself.

Families should beware the potential charges - some car rental places charge 500% more than their competitors, with prices varying up to £60. It is always a good idea to check prices beforehand to make sure you are getting the best cheap car hire deal possible. Another alternative is to bring your child seat with you, again, check with your airline whether you will be charged. Ryanair and bmibaby charge £10 each way and Aer Lingus treat a child seat as excess baggage.

Research carried out by travelsupermarket.com suggests that the airports at Malaga, Majorca and Alicante are the most expensive for hiring child seats while Nice's Cote d'Azur airport in France is cheapest on average.

Travelsupermarket's Bob Atkinson said: "Travelling abroad is already a costly business once you factor in airline charges for hold luggage and excess baggage." He added "With prices varying so significantly between car hire firms, it's important families consider the various add-ons."

Its amazing how much gadgets have changed over the last 30 years. All the information we could possibly want in on the internet, satnavs tell us which turnings to take, and we are available 24/7 thanks to mobile phones, even TV can be paused. Business benefit from video conferencing, conducting interviews over skype and super fast connections.

Kids take these innovations for granted. I was at a wedding recently and the kids couldn't understand how we kept in touch with each other without mobile phones. Trying to explain that we simply phoned back later if they were out, or arranged ahead of time to meet mostly met with blank stares.

These days, if I am thinking of making a purchase, I can find reviews of products, compare prices and even buy it without leaving my chair. Back in the day, if Mum and Dad wanted a new telly, we would traipse around the shops for hours, often two or three times over the course of a week or two before any money changed hands.

The advent of Facebook has made it a lot easier to find out what our friends are doing, without the inconvenience of talking to them. We can tell each other what is new, ask for a charity donation if we are taking part in fundraising activities and pass on our sympathies for bad news.

Kids have never had it so good, I wonder what technology will be commonplace by the time they have children of their own.